Re: An interesting challenge
Randy (RANDY@SHOCKER.EE.TWSU.EDU)
Thu, 24 Feb 1994 08:31:13 CST
-
-He dropped out of school after a less then successful 9th
-grade year, and a traffic accident that kept him out during
-his 10th grade year. He is currently presuing a GED. He
-also apparently (euphemism mode on) made a mistake with a
-young lady, and has married her, but they are not getting
-along real well.
-
Isn't this just the type of boy that needs the Scouting program?
-My first impression was that he is basicly a nice person,
-who is sincerly interested in completing his Eagle, and
-helping my troop.
This may be a good first impression. Maybe you should go with it.
-
-However, after the meeting this evening, he was talking with
-several of the other scouts. I was involved in other
-conversations, but noticed him place a "choke hold" on a 12
-year old scout, who nearly passed out. At that time, I
-misinturpreted this as a demonstration that got out of hand.
-I later learned, through my Assistant Scoutmaster -- who
-learned it from his son -- that actually the younger scout
-had been teasing the new scout about his name (The new
-scout's mother is from Mexico and his first name is
-spanish).
-
This young man has probably had to deal with remarks about his name
for all of his life. Kids are pretty insensitive about things like
that. One would expect that other Scouts would not stoop to those
levels. I don't want to sound as if I am justifying the "choke"
hold, but maybe the other youth went a bit too far in his teasing.
Maybe the entire troop needs to be sat down and talked to.
-
-I would like some advise on how to deal with this new scout.
-Specifically, I could use some suggestions for the following
-challenges/problems/question:
-
- 1. How do I fit this new scout into a program
-consisting of 5 scouts with 1 year experience, 2 or 3 with 2
-years, and 2 scouts with 3 years experience. We also expect
-several brand new scouts to join us in the next few months.
-
I think you are doing the right thing with the JASM position. He is
an experienced Scout and given the challenge of such a position, he
may just surprise everyone. He does need to know exactly what is
expected of him before he goes into it, tho.
- 2. Next week I plan on sitting down with this scout
-for a Scoutmaster's Conference to discuss where he fits in
-the troop. I also will need to discuss the incident with
-the sleeper hold and make sure that he is aware that that is
-unacceptable. What else should I discuss, and how can I
-approach this to gain maximum benefit.
-
Be up front with the young man. He needs to know just exactly what
you expect of him AND what he can expect of you. If you give him a
leadership position, you need to let him know that you will support
him and you will need to show him that same thing in your actions.
- 3. Should I reconsider my decision to ask him to
-serve as JASM. Is there another position that he could fill
-without impacting the troop leadership as much.
-
Let him serve in that capacity......for the reasons you outlined.
- 4. Our district uses an "Eagle Coordinator"
-position to approve eagle projects and to help the Eagle
-candidate work through his requirements. The coordinator
-for Palatine is an old scouter and can be a bit of a "hard
-case." He has the attitude that too many scouts are getting
-advancement too easily and it is his job to make sure that
-make up for that before getting Eagle. I do not feel that
-he would necessarily be good for this scout. I am currently
-planning on talking to another Eagle coordinator for another
-community in our district, and asking him to deal with this
-scout. Is this a good idea.
-
- 5. Are there any other suggestions that might help
-me deal with this new challenge, one which right now appears
-to be almost over my head.
-
To be honest, I think you may be building it up a bit more that it
should be. Boys will be boys. This young man needs to know that the
behavior he has shown is unacceptable, but on the other hand, the
other scouts need to be told the same thing. It sounds as if it was
a situation where both sides were wrong. Don't be so quick to stand
up for your "older" boys before you know the whole story. There is
usually fault on both sides, as it seems there was in this case.
Randy Sessions
Cub Roundtable Commissioner
High Plains District
Quivira Council
Wichita, KS
-> Randy@shocker.ee.twsu.edu
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